British company Glaxo, which made the ulcer and heartburn drug Zantac, was aware of the drug’s carcinogenicity but did not report it or withdraw it from sale for four decades, Bloomberg writes, citing regulatory documents, studies and court documents, some of which are classified. . The increased risk of cancer when taking the drug became widely known only in 2019.
According to the agency, Glaxo received approval to release Zantac in 1978. The active ingredient in the preparation was ranitidine. For 40 years, Zantac has become the world’s best-selling prescription drug, the company has received an award from Queen Elizabeth II, and its chief executive, Andrew Whitty, has been knighted.
In 2019, scientists found that the drug is carcinogenic, and the dangerous substance NDMA is created by ranitidine itself. Zantac manufacturers and health regulators around the world have recalled the drug, and in the spring of 2020, the US regulator banned the production and use of the drug.
NDMA is short for N-nitrosodimethylamine. It was first associated with the appearance of cancer in 1956. By the 1970s, NDMA was already considered one of the most potent carcinogens known at that time. The substance caused cancer in every kind of animal tested. These days, it’s only used to induce cancer in lab rats.
The results of the studies showed that a small amount of NDMA was not dangerous, but ranitidine contained an excessive amount of this substance, which increased over time. At the same time, Glaxo, as follows from the documents studied by Bloomberg, was aware of the problem from the very beginning, but hid the results of a study on the carcinogenicity of the drug from the American regulator. In addition, the company for many years supported the incorrect testing of the drug to obtain the desired conclusions.
More than 70,000 people are currently suing the company in the US for taking Zantac or its generics. The first trial is set for the end of February in the California Supreme Court, but it could be delayed until the summer due to the judge’s schedule. Pfizer, Sanofi and other pharmaceutical firms that sold Zantac also became defendants.
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
